This invention relates to a cover panel for use in an air handling unit for conducting air along an enclosed flow path, wherein the panel is able to support relatively heavy air handling equipment and the like while providing a thermal barrier to improve the flow of heat through said panel.
Many air handling units in present day use are fabricated from thin sheet metal ducts that are brought together in the field to provide an enclosed passage through which air can be conducted. The walls of the duct section readily conduct heat and provide little in the way of a thermal barrier. Accordingly, heat can move rather rapidly through the walls from the warm side of the duct to the cool side. The loss of energy through the walls of the duct work places an unwanted load on the air handling equipment particularly when conditioned air is being conducted through the unit. When the air handling unit is installed in an unconditioned air space and is carrying cool air, the outer wall surfaces of the duct work will condense moisture and the moisture can drop onto the underlying floor areas posing a danger to people walking or working below the unit. By the same token, the moisture can also fall upon equipment producing corrosion and causing other moisture related problems.
Air handling equipment such as heat exchanger coils or fans oftentimes must be mounted within the air handling unit. This equipment can be relatively heavy and requires the installation of additional external supports beneath those areas in which the equipment is located. Generally, the addition of reinforcing supports to the duct work can be both costly and time consuming.
It is a primary object of the present invention to improve air handling units for conducting air along an enclosed path of travel.
It is a further object of the present invention to inhibit the flow of heat into or out of the duct work of an air handling unit.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a reinforced floor panel for use in an air handling unit that is capable of forming a thermal barrier to impede the flow of heat from one side of the unit to the other, while at the same time providing the strength to support the weight of air handling equipment contained within the air handling unit.
These and other objects of the present invention are attained by a panel suitable for use in an air handling unit for supporting equipment contained within the unit while providing a thermal barrier to the transfer of energy into or out of the unit. The panel includes a rectangular frame having a top cover and a bottom cover so that an internal cavity is established within the panel. A plurality of reinforcing support members are mounted within the cavity. Each support member has a height equal to the depth of the cavity and includes a flat horizontally disposed platform that rests against one of the panel covers and a series of vertical walls extending downwardly from the top flange platform that rests against the opposing cover. The walls coact to form a series of chambers all of which open to one side or the other of the member. A curable foam material is injected into the cavity and fills the chambers in each support member and the entire cavity. The foam sets to bond the panel component together in assembly and to provide a thermal barrier to impede the flow of heat through the panel.